YEREVAN -- Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian has accused Turkey of jeopardizing talks between the two countries after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Nagorno-Karabakh remains an obstacle to a “healthy solution.”
Nalbandian stated on April 5 that Armenia is not obligated to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before talking to Turkey, and that Erdogan’s remarks “may be regarded as an attempt to impede the progress reached in the negotiations,” RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Nalbandian arrives in Istanbul on April 7 for the UN Alliance of Civilizations summit, where he is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, to discuss establishing diplomatic relations and the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev reportedly pulled out of the UN summit to protest any improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations.
Nalbandian stated on April 5 that Armenia is not obligated to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before talking to Turkey, and that Erdogan’s remarks “may be regarded as an attempt to impede the progress reached in the negotiations,” RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Nalbandian arrives in Istanbul on April 7 for the UN Alliance of Civilizations summit, where he is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, to discuss establishing diplomatic relations and the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev reportedly pulled out of the UN summit to protest any improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations.
Barred From The Border
Barred From The Border
The closed border with Turkey makes life difficult for residents of the Armenian village of Margara. But as speculation grows about the border reopening, the villagers have high hopes for new opportunities. Play